Wayne State University Press launches new book about Detroit art

Authors Julie Pincus and Nichole Christian flank one of their most important contributing photographers, Salvador Rodriguez.

Alonso del Arte

Is Detroit a blank canvas ready for whatever artists want to paint on it? No, that's an oversimplification. In their new book, Canvas Detroit, authors Julie Pincus and Nichole Christian go much deeper than that, combining "vibrant full-color photography of the city's much-buzzed-about art scene with thoughtful narrative that explores the art and artists that are re-creating Detroit."

Those artists include internationally renowned artists like Tyree Guyton, established local artists like Jerome Ferretti and Robert Sestok, and rising stars like Katie Craig. "We didn't include in the book everyone we wanted to include," Pincus admitted. Some of the artists led them to other artists: for example, Craig let them know about murals by Katie Yamasaki, daughter of the famous architect. For the photography, Pincus and Christian had the help of several important Detroit photographers, like Salvador Rodriguez, David Lewinski and Max Ortiz.

Technically, the book has been available for more than a couple of weeks now, and already has a sales rank on Amazon (#391,522 in Books, as of May 7). But the launch event at the Kresge Court in the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) earlier tonight made its release official, with the authors on hand to autograph copies of the book. Among those who purchased the book and got their copies autographed was Simone DeSousa, owner and artistic director of Re:View Contemporary, who might offer solo shows to some of the artists profiled in the book. "I'm always looking to get inspired," DeSousa said. However, at least one artist mentioned in the book has already exhibited at her gallery, specifically, Greg Fadell.

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Alonso was Photo Editor of his university newspaper, The South End, and then a photographer for Exemplar, the magazine of the WSU College of Engineering. Today he continues to cover events around metro Detroit and stays in touch with other event photographers.